Rising Los Angeles songstress Nylo has made friends in high places; Nas and Mac Miller both expressed their admiration soon after the release of her debut single, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The track is a pretty, starry-eyed introduction to an artist that’s aiming to be one part pop prodigy, one part master (or mistress) of minimalist beats. But does her debut, Indigo Summer, actually succeed? Nylo still has miles to go, but she’s getting there, and in Audrey Hepburn- worthy style, no less. 
“Getting tired of waiting for love,” Nylo admits on Indigo Summer opener “Nobody Has to Know.” “Fuck what I need/Give me what I want,” she continues, commencing an album-long journey into the dreamiest depths of heartbreak, heartache, and back again. The track features a slick rap verse by Gilberto Forte, sealing the deal on Nylo’s slow, smooth melodic approach. There isn’t a whole lot of variety on Indigo Summer, which wins in terms of vocals (consistently great), hooks, and emotional range, but falters slightly on substance.
While it’s a fair attempt, her bare take on “Blurred Lines,” this summer’s extra-sultry guilty pleasure, is ultimately unsuccessful. While Robin Thicke’s original achieves impossibly catchy heights, Nylo’s version strips the song of all its glossy, glitzy fun. What’s left underneath? Not that all that much.
By far, her best track is shimmering single “Fool Me Once,” which appears early on Indigo Summer and sets an extremely high standard that the rest of the record can’t quite match. Steady yet undeniably dynamic, “Fool Me Once” features a perfect, porcelain beat to carefully support Nylo’s whisper-soft crooning and a gorgeous array of delicate synth sounds. Clearly, this girl has the goods; she doesn’t always deliver them, but when she does, it’s positively enchanting. Feel free to file Nylo under rising star in need of just a bit more finishing polish.
2.5 / 5 bars
